


Someone to Give Me the Jacket When It’s Cold

by ultradaniblonde



Series: Veronica Lodge and Jughead Jones [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 12:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19229350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultradaniblonde/pseuds/ultradaniblonde
Summary: Jellybean goes missing. Jughead asks Veronica for help





	1. Chapter 1

Jughead walks down the stairs of La Bonne Nuit with scowl, “I need your help,” he says shattering the rare silence. Normally the speakeasy is crowded with revelers drinking and carousing over the hum of Josie’s silky voice however the stillness of the club in the early morning only adds to his discomfort.

Veronica, having dismissed Reggie and the Serpents hours ago, continues to wipe down the bar not bothering to lift her gaze. “What can I help you with Mr. Jones?” she asks while setting two tumblers on the countertop. To her credit, she doesn’t ridicule him or make snide comments about the Serpent King needing a Lodge’s help. Her lips don’t tilt up in amusement when she finds something particularly ironic. Instead, she pours a generous splash of whiskey into each glass before looking up at him with an impassive expression.

“As you know, the Ghoulies and Serpents have agreed to begin peace treaty discussions,” Jughead starts with a sigh removing his beanie and tossing it onto the countertop. Veronica’s eyes flicker to his dark thick hair before settling on his face noticing his clenched jaw. Although she doesn’t share saccharine childhood memories with him, she knows Jughead and realizes he is collecting his thoughts and not awaiting a response. “Those negations are supposed to begin tonight and as joyous as an occasion it might be to finally have peace in Riverdale, I find myself anxious,” he admits. “Nobody has heard from Jellybean in three weeks,” he sighs.

With years of practice, Veronica schools her emotions and instead sips her drink with a composed expression. “Could she be with Gladys?” Veronica poses, knowing Jughead, brilliant that he is would have already considered it.

“I checked. My mom thinks she is still at camp and FP has no reason to believe otherwise. This isn’t like her. Jellybean writes me every week,” Jughead insists. He runs his fingers though his hair sending the dark waves in every direction. 

“I can’t send the Serpents without jeopardizing the treaty and Archie hasn’t exactly proved stealthy when it comes to visiting the Southside,” Jughead says cynically.

“And the Serpent Queen?” Veronica probes, and there it is, a small crack in her façade. The words uttered with an undercurrent of rancor just barely detectable. _Betty Cooper. River Vixen. Blue and Gold Investigator. Dark Betty. Gryphon Queen._ Characters she tried on and cast aside without repercussions while Veronica fought tirelessly against the mean girl title unfairly bestowed upon her.

“Not an option,” Jughead responds tersely. The resolve in his voice sends shivers down her spine and whether he is unwilling to ask or Betty is unwilling to take the risk, it is another conversation for another night.

Her brow furrows slightly and she presses her bow lips together before stating, “You want me to look for her,” searching Jughead’s gaze. 

“I know you don’t associate with your father’s capos anymore, but if you could send someone to do some light reconnaissance. I just need to know if she is there. She is family,” he says struggling to keep his voice from shaking.

Anyone else and she would have told them to leave. The attempt to garner a favor by invoking family would have had her fuming and yet with Jughead it is different. Their peers see the world in black and white, but Jughead and Veronica live in the morally gray. Too often forced to make the best choice between terrible options, based solely on who would survive the fallout.

“I will be in touch,” she answers, taking his drink and tilting it back between her lips before placing the glasses in the sink and silently dismissing him.


	2. Chapter 2

Jughead assumed Veronica would send some bruiser to the Southside to do her bidding, but instead she went herself. She still had connections, albeit strained, but there was no one she trusted when it came to looking for the Jones girl. Not when she knew how much it mattered to Jughead and how vulnerable it could make him and FP.

Finding her way to the Ghoulie headquarters was easy. With a leather jacket, jeans and contemptuous scowl, she fit in with most of the residents: Ghoulie, Serpent or otherwise. Busy with the details of peace treaty currently being hashed out at the Whyte Wyrm, the flophouse was mostly unoccupied. Although on the fringes of Serpent business, the pieces she picked up from Sweet Pea and Fangs were enough for her to realize Jughead’s anxiety was not unfounded. The Ghoulie’s numbers were diminished and what should have been a hostile takeover was instead a negation, Malachi never really divulging what he had to offer in return.

As she creeps through the dilapidated house the rooms start to blur together: dirty twin mattress, needles and beer bottles. The practiced air of having every right to be there while dodging thugs arose from years of living a privileged life in the city while overlooking Hiram’s less than legitimate business associates. She is almost done and walks into the living room noticing a small door. Her heart pounds loudly in her chest when she opens it with a creak and finds Jellybean sprawled on a mattress. Puncture wounds pepper her arms and a garish bruise mars her cheek.

“Fuck,” she whispers scanning the needles scattered on the floor. Suddenly Jellybean is on her feet glaring at Veronica. “Jughead sent me,” Veronica says quickly raising her hands defensively. A smug self-righteous expression flits across her face before she falls to her knees. Wrapping Jellybean’s arm over her shoulder, Veronica lifts her from the floor and they stagger towards the door. Dragging Jellybean into the living room, she pauses when she hears voices coming from the corridor.

She quickly scans the living room before leading Jellybean back to the small cramped room. “I’ll stall. Call Jughead,” she says thrusting the phone into her hands the phone already ringing. Closing the door quietly, she locks Jellybean inside the room and the voices grow louder. Walking to the opposite side of the room, she stands next to a tattered armchair and takes a deep breath. Seconds pass before two Ghoulies walk into the living room in the middle of a conversation. “Hello boys,” Veronica greets coolly.

“What the fuck?” a boy with a black and white checkered shirt and short blonde hair shouts. “What are you doing here?” he asks, his counterpart gaping at her in his studded black hoodie.

“Just looking for some fun,” Veronica says coyly her gaze fixated on them resisting the urge to glance at the small closet.

They stare at her skeptically and she hides the tremors in her hands praying Jughead answered his phone. Seconds stretch on like an eternity before the taller of the two steps forward. Looming over her, his eyes flicker over her petite form and she is confident they believe her. Her hope dies when a loud thump draws his attention and he tears his gaze away from her, his eyes darting towards the door.

With his eyes no longer fixated on her, she grabs a pool queue and cracks it over his head bringing him crashing to the floor. The stockier boy reaches into his back pocket pulling out a switchblade as his eyes glint manically. Veronica scrambles and puts the armchair between them watching him carefully, not even daring to look at the blood pooling on the floor next to the taller boy. “You don’t want to do this,” she warns.

“Taking the Serpent Queen down a peg is exactly what I want to do right now,” he leers. 

Despite her fear, she balls her fists, not even realizing he thinks she is the Serpent Queen. 


	3. Chapter 3

Jughead glares at Malachi, unintimidated by the defaced baseball bat he uses as a cane and unimpressed with his swagger. Standing in the Whyte Wyrm surrounded by Serpents and Ghoulies, they have been negotiating for almost an hour. When Jughead’s phone vibrates, he slips it out of his pocket and looks at the name. With a scowl, he pushes his way from the center of the room earning a reprimanding glower from FP.

“Veronica. What is it?” he asks.

His heart stops beating when Jellybean murmurs, “Jughead,” her voice weak.

Renowned for the Jones’ grit, he has never heard his sister sound scared. “The Ghoulies… Veronica is here,” she begins.

“JB…” Jughead says his tone urgent.

“Jughead! You need to hurry. She said she’ll stall,” Jellybean interrupts rallying just before the call drops.

“Fuck!” Jughead shouts. Glancing over at the crowd, he shouts “Fangs, Toni, Sweet Pea. With me. Now,” he says shoving people out of the way as he makes his way towards the door. Toni gives him a questioning look before grabbing the boys and dragging them towards the exit. “JB is at the House of the Dead. Veronica found her and Ghoulies found them,” he explains climbing onto his bike. 

Not bothering with his helmet, he speeds towards the flophouse. Jughead kicks the door open, Sweet Pea, Toni and Fangs at his heels as they run down the hall following the sounds of a struggle. Jughead is stunned at the scene in front of him; overturned furniture and shards of glass litter the living room. One Ghoulie is bleeding face down on the floor while the other grapples with Veronica.  A bruise blooms on her cheek and her expression is furious. With his forearm across her chest, he slams her wrist against the carpet trying to force her to let go of the broken beer bottle she is gripping. Blood pours from his nose onto her shirt while she bucks against him. He turns towards the Serpents just before Jughead tackles him sending them both sprawling. 

“Veronica!” Toni yells helping her stand. Veronica grabs the girl’s arm dragging her towards the small room. “Sweet Pea!” Veronica shouts over her shoulder as she unlocks the door revealing an unconscious Jellybean. Veronica digs her car keys out of her pocket and wordlessly hands them to Toni while Sweet Pea lifts Jellybean into his arms. She looks tiny and Jughead’s expression crumbles when he watches Toni lead the two of them to Veronica’s car.

Scanning the two bodies and overturned furniture, Jughead regains control of the situation. “Fangs, go back to the Whyte Wyrm and tell FP what happened. Tell him to stop negotiating. JB is safe. No need for a treaty,” he says and Fangs nods leaving quickly.

Jughead stares at Veronica. She has finger shaped marks on her wrist. The welt on her cheekbone is beginning to swell and he can see bruising along her collarbone under her torn and bloody shirt. Although typically armed with a witty retort or offhand comment, she meets his silent stare with an unapologetic expression. He recognizes the futility of words and sighs deeply, slipping his leather Serpent jacket off and placing it over her shoulders before gently brushing her hair back from her face. 


End file.
